Patents by Inventor William L. Melbye

William L. Melbye has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7188396
    Abstract: A mushroom-type hook strip for a hook-and-loop fastener has a flexible backing of thermoplastic resin and, integral with backing, an array of upstanding stems distributed across at least one face of the backing, each having a mushroom head. The stems have a molecular orientation as evidenced by a birefringence value of at least 0.001. The mushroom-type hook strip can be produced continuously by injecting resin into cavities of a cylindrical mold while evacuating and cooling the cavities so that the cooled resin becomes molecularly oriented, thus affording to the stems excellent stiffness, durability, and tensile and flexural strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: William L. Melbye, Susan K. Nestegard, Leigh E. Wood, Marvin D. Lindseth, Dale A. Bychinski
  • Patent number: 6635212
    Abstract: A mushroom-type hook strip for a hook-and-loop fastener has a flexible backing of thermoplastic resin and, is integral with backing, an array of upstanding stems distributed across at least one face of the backing, each having a mushroom head. The stems have a molecular orientation as evidenced by a birefringence value of at least 0.001. The mushroom-type hook strip can be produced continuously by injecting resin into cavities of a cylindrical mold while evacuating and cooling the cavities so that the cooled resin becomes molecularly oriented, thus affording to the stems excellent stiffness, durability, and tensile and flexural strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: William L. Melbye, Susan K. Nestegard, Leigh E. Wood, Marvin D. Lindseth, Dale A. Bychinski
  • Patent number: 6558602
    Abstract: A mushroom-type hook strip for a hook-and-loop fastener has a flexible backing of thermoplastic resin and, integral with backing, an array of upstanding stems distributed across at least one face of the backing, each having a mushroom head. The stems have a molecular orientation as evidenced by a birefringence value of at least 0.001. The mushroom-type hook strip can be produced continuously by injecting resin into cavities of a cylindrical mold while evacuating and cooling the cavities so that the cooled resin becomes molecularly oriented, thus affording to the stems excellent stiffness, durability, and tensile and flexural strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: William L. Melbye, Susan K. Nestegard, Leigh E. Wood, Marvin D. Lindseth, Dale A. Bychinski
  • Patent number: 6195850
    Abstract: A closure system and method of making a closure system for a disposable article. A substantially continuous closure system web is provided. One face of the web is provided with first fastening region at terminal end portion(s) of the web. A second fastening region, engagable with the first fastening region, is provided on a second face of the web in a region adjacent the terminal end portion(s). The closure system tab elements are cut from the web and attached to a second web, used in producing the disposable article, at longitudinally spaced locations. This second web is then cut at transverse cut lines separating the closure system tab element into two functional elements. A first functional element has a fastening tab portion and the second functional element has an attachment portion, The attachment portion of one closure system tab element interacts with a fastening tab portion of an adjacent closure system tab element to form a functional closure system on a disposable article made using the second web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: William L. Melbye, Jayshree Seth
  • Patent number: 6054091
    Abstract: A method of making a hook strip having J-shaped hooks that can be used as a mechanical fastener. The method includes using an initial substrate of material formed as an array of upstanding precursor stems having distal tips at their ends opposite a backing. In addition, a heat source adapted for heating and a mechanism for deforming stem tips is provided. The substrate is positioned relative to the heat source such that a portion of the upstanding stems on the array is heated. Subsequently, the substrate is moved to a position relative to the mechanism for deforming to create a hook strip of J-shaped hooks from the heated portion of the upstanding stems. In addition, an article of manufacture, made in accordance with the method, is provided which includes a hook portion of a hook-and-loop type of mechanical fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.
    Inventors: Philip Miller, William L. Melbye
  • Patent number: 6051094
    Abstract: A closure system and method of making a closure system for a disposable article. A substantially continuous closure system web is provided. One face of the web is provided with first fastening region at terminal end portion(s) of the web. A second fastening region, engagable with the first fastening region, is provided on a second face of the web in a region adjacent the terminal end portion(s). The closure system tab elements are cut from the web and attached to a second web, used in producing the disposable article, at longitudinally spaced locations. This second web is then cut at transverse cut lines separating the closure system tab element into two functional elements. A first functional element has a fastening tab portion and the second functional element has an attachment portion. The attachment portion of one closure system tab element interacts with a fastening tab portion of an adjacent closure system tab element to form a functional closure system on a disposable article made using the second web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: William L. Melbye, Jayshree Seth
  • Patent number: 5879604
    Abstract: A mushroom-type hook strip for a hook-and-loop fastener has a flexible backing of thermoplastic resin and, integral with backing, an array of upstanding stems distributed across at least one face of the backing, each having a mushroom head. The stems have a molecular orientation as evidenced by a birefringence value of at least 0.001. The mushroom-type hook strip can be produced continuously by injecting resin into cavities of a cylindrical mold while evacuating and cooling the cavities so that the cooled resin becomes molecularly oriented, thus affording to the stems excellent stiffness, durability, and tensile and flexural strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: William L. Melbye, Susan K. Nestegard, Leigh E. Wood, Marvin D. Lindseth, Dale A. Bychinski
  • Patent number: 5845375
    Abstract: A mushroom-type hook strip that can be used in a hook-and-loop mechanical fastener. The hook strip comprises a homogeneous backing of thermoplastic resin and, integral with the backing, a high density array of hooks including stems projecting from the backing and circular disc shaped heads at the ends of the stems opposite the backing. The large number, small size, and shape of the heads on the hooks allow them to engage the fibers in conventional types of fabrics and non-woven materials that are not normally used as the loop portions of hook and loop fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Philip Miller, William L. Melbye, Susan K. Nestegard, Leigh E. Wood, Marvin D. Lindseth, Dale A. Bychinski
  • Patent number: 5785784
    Abstract: An abrasive sheet article is disclosed, including a substrate having first and second major surfaces, a coated abrasive on the first major surface, and a plurality of hooking stems on the second major surface. The coated abrasive may comprise a plurality of precisely shaped composites comprising a plurality of abrasive grains dispersed in a binder. The hooking stems are adapted to hook engaging structures on an opposed surface to releasably affix the abrasive sheet member to the surface. A method for making such abrasive articles is also disclosed, including several illustrative variations of the inventive method. Also disclosed is a back-up pad for supporting such an abrasive article during abrading. The back-up pad includes a support portion, such as a polymeric backing, and an engaging portion, such as a loop material, for engaging hooking stems projecting from the abrasive article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Jason A. Chesley, William L. Melbye
  • Patent number: 5681302
    Abstract: An elastic sheet-like composite comprising a multiplicity of elongate strands of resiliently elastic material, and one or more sheets of material bonded along its length or at sheet bonding locations to the elastic strands, some of which sheets have arcuate portions projecting from the elastic strands between those sheet bonding locations. The elastic sheet-like composite may be incorporated in disposable garments such as diapers or training pants. Also disclosed is a novel method and novel equipment for making the elastic sheet-like composite including in different combinations, sheet corrugating members, equipment for compacting the sheet along its length and an extruder that extrudes the strands onto the sheets and affords versatility in selecting characteristics of the elastic sheet-like composite to be produced without major modifications of the equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1997
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: William L. Melbye, Dennis L. Becker, Michael R. Gorman
  • Patent number: 5679302
    Abstract: A mushroom-type hook strip that can be used in a hook-and-loop mechanical fastener. The hook strip includes a homogeneous backing of thermoplastic resin and, integral with the backing, a high density array of hooks including stems projecting from the backing and circular disc shaped heads at the ends of the stems opposite the backing. The large number, small size, and shape of the heads on the hooks allow them to engage the fibers in conventional types of fabrics and non-woven materials that are not normally used as the loop portions of hook and loop fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Philip Miller, William L. Melbye, Susan K. Nestegard, Leigh E. Wood, Marvin D. Lindseth, Dale A. Bychinski
  • Patent number: 5643397
    Abstract: A sheet of loop material adapted to be cut into pieces to form loop portions for fasteners of the type comprising releasably engageable hook and loop portions, or to be incorporated into items such as disposable garments or diapers or into sheets of abrasives. The sheet of loop material includes a sheet of longitudinally oriented fibers having anchor portions and arcuate portions projecting in one direction away from the anchor portions, and a layer of thermoplastic backing material extruded onto the anchor portions to bond to the anchor portions and form at least a portion of a backing for the loop material. The thermoplastic backing material can also bond the sheet of fibers to a sheet of backing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Gorman, Dennis L. Becker, Donald W. Folske, William L. Melbye, Susan K. Nestegard, Ronald L. Ott
  • Patent number: 5616394
    Abstract: A sheet of loop material adapted to be cut into pieces to form loop portions for fasteners of the type comprising releasably engageable hook and loop portions, or to be incorporated into items such as disposable garments or diapers or into sheets of abrasives. The sheet of loop material includes a sheet of longitudinally oriented fibers having anchor portions and arcuate portions projecting in one direction away from the anchor portions, and a layer of thermoplastic backing material extruded onto the anchor portions to bond to the anchor portions and form at least a portion of a backing for the loop material. The thermoplastic backing material can also bond the sheet of fibers to a sheet of backing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Gorman, Dennis L. Becker, Donald W. Folske, William L. Melbye, Susan K. Nestegard, Ronald L. Ott
  • Patent number: 5611791
    Abstract: A sheet of loop material adapted to be cut into pieces to form loop portions for fasteners of the type comprising releasably engageable hook and loop portions, or to be incorporated into items such as disposable garments or diapers or into sheets of abrasives. The sheet of loop material includes a sheet of longitudinally oriented fibers having anchor portions and arcuate portions projecting in one direction away from the anchor portions, and a layer of thermoplastic backing material extruded onto the anchor portions to bond to the anchor portions and form at least a portion of a backing for the loop material. The thermoplastic backing material can also bond the sheet of fibers to a sheet of backing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Gorman, Dennis L. Becker, Donald W. Folske, William L. Melbye, Susan K. Nestegard, Ronald L. Ott
  • Patent number: 5607635
    Abstract: A mushroom-type hook strip for a hook-and-loop fastener has a flexible backing of thermoplastic resin and, integral with backing, an array of upstanding stems distributed across at least one face of the backing, each having a mushroom head. The stems have a molecular orientation as evidenced by a birefringence value of at least 0.001. The mushroom-type hook strip can be produced continuously by injecting resin into cavities of a cylindrical mold while evacuating and cooling the cavities so that the cooled resin becomes molecularly oriented, thus affording to the stems excellent stiffness, durability, and tensile and flexural strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: William L. Melbye, Susan K. Nestegard, Leigh E. Wood, Marvin D. Lindseth, Dale A. Bychinski
  • Patent number: 5354591
    Abstract: A sheet of coated abrasive material including a backing having abrasive on one surface and loops projecting from its other surface by which the sheet of coated abrasive material can be held by hooks on the support surface of a pad. The backing comprises a polymeric bonding layer defining its rear surface. The sheet of coated abrasive material comprises a nonwoven sheet of longitudinally oriented fibers having anchor portions bonded in the polymeric bonding layer at spaced bonding locations, and arcuate portions projecting from the rear surface of the backing between the bonding locations to provide the loops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Ronald L. Ott, Michael R. Gorman, Dennis L. Becker, Donald W. Folske, William L. Melbye, Susan K. Nestegard, David F. Slama, John L. Barry, Jeffrey R. McMahon
  • Patent number: 5256231
    Abstract: A method of providing a sheet of loop material adapted to be cut into pieces to form loop portions for fasteners of the type comprising releasably engageable hook and loop portions, or to be incorporated into items such as disposable garments or diapers or into sheets of abrasives. The sheet of loop material includes a sheet of longitudinally oriented fibers having anchor portions and arcuate portions projecting in one direction away from the anchor portions, and a layer of thermoplastic backing material extruded onto the anchor portions to bond to the anchor portions and form at least a portion of a backing for the loop material. The thermoplastic backing material can also bond the sheet of fibers to a sheet of backing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1993
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Gorman, Dennis L. Becker, Donald W. Folske, William L. Melbye, Susan K. Nestegard, Ronald L. Ott
  • Patent number: 5254194
    Abstract: A sheet of coated abrasive material including a backing having abrasive on one surface and loops projecting from its other surface by which the sheet of coated abrasive material can be held by hooks on the support surface of a pad. The backing comprises a polymeric bonding layer defining its rear surface. The sheet of coated abrasive material comprises a nonwoven sheet of longitudinally oriented fibers having anchor portions bonded in the polymeric bonding layer at spaced bonding locations, and arcuate portions projecting from the rear surface of the backing between the bonding locations to provide the loops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1993
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Ronald L. Ott, Michael R. Gorman, Dennis L. Becker, Donald W. Folske, William L. Melbye, Susan K. Nestegard, David E. Slama, John L. Barry, Jeffrey R. McMahon
  • Patent number: 5158557
    Abstract: A refastenable adhesive closure is provided. The closure has a pressure-sensitive adhesive-bearing fastening tab and a target portion, or target strip, having a working face for contact with the adhesive-bearing fastening tab. The working face of the target strip is formed with peaks and valleys, the height of the peaks above the valleys being substantially uniform and from about 40 to 300 .mu.m, the spacing between adjacent peaks being from about 50 to 500 .mu.m, the back face of the target portion being substantially flat, and the thickness of the adhesive layer of the tab being no more than about 90% of the height of the peaks above the valleys. The closure is resistant to contamination by dust and other fine particulate matter and is especially useful for refastenable disposable diaper closures and refastenable envelope closures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Allen L. Noreen, Dean R. Crissinger, William L. Melbye, Eric G. Rodgers, Alan J. Sipinen, Leigh E. Wood
  • Patent number: 5077870
    Abstract: A mushroom-type hook strip for a hook-and-loop fastener has a flexible backing of thermoplastic resin and, integral with backing, an array of upstanding stems distributed across at least one face of the backing, each having a mushroom head. The stems have a molecular orientation as evidenced by a birefringence value of at least 0.001. The mushroom-type hook strip can be produced continuously by injecting resin into cavitites of a cylindrical mold while evacuating and cooling the cavities so that the cooled resin becomes molecularly oriented, thus affording to the stems excellent stiffness, durability, and tensile and flexural strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: William L. Melbye, Susan K. Nestegard, Leigh E. Wood, Marvin D. Lindseth, Dale A. Bychinski